Funerals

Funerals in nineteenth-century England varied vastly in price. To the right, you can see a very cheap funeral bill. For middle- and upper-class families with money, however, funerals could easily come to the £50 to £70 range. This often included costs for mutes (see the list on the left) and "professional mourners," who were paid to encourage others to weep and mourn. Although this is not mentioned directly in Bartlett's text, the Sowerberrys intend to make Oliver a mute. He would (silently) stand near the coffin with a solemn expression, and his melancholic face would inspire "great emotion in the mothers," as Mr. Sowerberry puts it.

Cost of "the cheapest decent funeral that could be had" in London, 1865: